Stafford Springs unveils plan to rebuild Furnace Avenue, widen road and replace drainage

Stafford Springs officials and engineers presented detailed plans on Furnace Avenue phase two that would widen the road, add continuous sidewalks and shoulders for bicyclists, and replace the corridor’s storm drainage to handle a 10‑year storm.

Joe Serola, president of Cardinal Engineering, told the public this is “the second phase of a three‑phase program to improve Furnace Avenue.” He said phase two runs from East Main Street north roughly 2,500 feet to just past Edgewood Street and follows phase one, completed in 2023.

Why it matters: officials said the corridor has narrow pavement in places, sidewalks that do not meet ADA standards and a drainage system that floods during heavy rain. The design aims to improve pedestrian and bicycle access to the commercial area near East Main, and provide a safer connection to the high school, library and athletic complex.

Planned changes and design details
Cardinal’s presentation described a typical section north of High Street with two 11‑foot travel lanes, two 4‑foot shoulders (intended for bicyclists but not striped bike lanes), and a 4‑foot sidewalk set behind a roughly 3‑foot grass strip. In narrower sections the roadway would be widened to a uniform 30 feet; in areas now as narrow as 24 feet, the plan calls for widening, shoulders and improved geometry to reduce abrupt curves.

The firm said it will “reconstruct the pavement” with full‑depth pavement reconstruction, add catch basins, and upgrade pipes so the corridor can handle a 10‑year storm. As Serola put it, the project team expects “the entire system will end up being replaced with newer pipes that are higher capacity to handle the 10‑year storm.”

Property impacts and rights of way
Engineers said there will be front‑yard disturbance, some shrub and tree removals and a need for grading easements along most properties in the corridor. They estimated “a taking will be required about four or five properties along the route,” with other parcels needing permanent or temporary easements for grading and drainage work.

Staff said Connecticut DOT will obtain rights of way for the project, contact property owners, perform appraisals and negotiate settlements. Presenters estimated the easement/takings process could take approximately six months to a year to finalize.

Funding, schedule and coordination
Town staff explained the project is classified under the Local Transportation Improvement Program and funded through the state via the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG). John Wet, public works director for the town of Stafford, said the funding for this phase is in place.

Design submittals to the DOT and coordination with utility companies were described as the immediate next steps; presenters suggested realistic construction start windows of next summer or, depending on DOT timing, the following spring.

Utilities, sidewalks and other tradeoffs
Nearly all utility poles along the corridor will be relocated out of the walking path and into the planned grass strip, presenters said. The town’s map shows areas where parking will be retained (between East Main and High Street) and where sidewalks will be replaced or newly installed. Curbs south of High Street are planned as monolithic concrete with sidewalks, while north of High Street the edge treatment includes asphalt edge, a grass strip and a 4‑ft sidewalk.

Public concerns raised
A resident asked whether the cherry trees in front of the American Woolen building would be removed. The resident asked: “I would like to know, do you think the cherry trees are going to be cut down in front of American woolen on the lower side?” Presenters said several trees are in poor condition and roots have already lifted the sidewalk; one presenter said he would “lean towards” removal while noting no final decision had been made, and suggested smaller replacement plantings where feasible.

Environmental and permitting notes
Presenters said the main environmental permit anticipated is a local wetlands permit and that minimal wetland impacts are expected where outfalls discharge to channels. They clarified storm runoff in the corridor outlets to the river and that the town does not operate a combined storm‑sanitary sewer system; WPCA work on infiltration and inflow was referenced as related context.

Next steps and how to follow the project
Connecticut DOT will reach out to affected property owners about appraisals and easement negotiations, and the town encouraged residents to review the posted presentation. The meeting was live‑streamed and will be posted online; residents were invited to contact the Department of Public Works with follow‑up questions.

The presentation included detailed maps and cross‑sections available for review by attendees and property owners; DOT and town staff will continue outreach as the right‑of‑way process proceeds.